USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 51
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The Young People's Christian Endeavor Society, which for many years had been the organization for the youth of the church, was discontinued and, in 1942, under the leadership of Mrs. Herbert Livingston, a very active youth group, known as the Pilgrim Fellowship, became the official youth organization. It is composed of young people of High School age. A Junior Pilgrim Fellow- ship composed of youth up to High School age meet here under the leadership of councilors.
The adult organizations are the Young Men's Club and the Ladies Benevolent Society, which in this year of 1952, completed 100 years of service in the church, and in June had a week of appropriate celebration in recognition of this fact.
The Young Womens' Club, organized in the year 1921, especially for the
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young mothers with children, has grown steadily and now includes members of all ages. This club has contributed many things of much use and value to the church, schools and community and is a generous contributor to the financial sup- port of the church. This society is responsible for flowers being placed in church each Sunday in tribute to the living or in loving memory of those gone on.
The church is dependent mostly for its financial support upon current pledges and donations of its members and friends. However it has been remembered many times in the wills of departed members and so has legacies and gifts which are held in trust and used for the support of the church. Such are the funds of Silence Putnam-land and parsonage, Sally Day, Sumner Putnam, James Burnap, Deacon Sumner B. King, Erastus E. Kingsbury, Claricy Nolan, Elijah Sibley, George K. Stockwell, Mary J. Parson, Delia Mascroft, Emma J. Hathaway, Jen- nie Burnap Brigham, Howard-Harris, Dexter A. Brigham, Ellen F. Woodbury Est., Ella J. Putnam, Mrs. Henry S. Stockwell, Ida Woodward Gift, Mrs. Oren D. Fisher Flower Fund.
The Sutton Church belongs to the Worcester South Association of Churches and is proud of her daughter church in Bramanville. For over these many years a clerk of the church has kept the records. But especially from the pens of Clinton Sutton White and Mrs. Rena C. Putnam and Mrs. Eunice Perry King is it indebted and grateful for full and accurate accounts. Mrs. King completed twenty-five years of faithful service, in 1948.
To this church, old in years, young in endeavor and rich in heritage have come infants to receive the holy rite of Christian Baptisim, young children, men and women to learn from the minister of God's word as he proclaims it from that historic pulpit of which we are justly proud. Young men and maidens walk to the altar to be pronounced man and wife. Down through the years men and women of all ages and walks of life have found comfort in the benedictions the church affords. In the long span of years many have brought their loved ones, young and old for the final service of farewell.
Since 1876, the following have been pastors of the Church: Reverends Wil- liam Addison Benedict, 1876-1883; Philander Thurston, 1884-1890; John Cole- man Hall, 1891-1902; Warren Prince Landers, 1902-1905; Oscar Frank Stetson, 1906-1911; Arthur G. Lyon, 1912-1913; William J. McNeill, 1913-1915; John McFarlane MacLarnen, 1916-1924; Oren Dennis Fisher, 1925-1929; Frank Nixon Merriam, 1929-1932; Randolph Hooker Hill, 1933-1941; Herbert Roy Livingstone, 1942-1944; Haig Joseph Nargesian, 1945-1948; G. Edgar Wolfe, 1948- . Rev. Frank A. Lombard is Honorary Member.
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, WILKINSONVILLE
St. John's Episcopal Church is on a small hill at the corner of Providence Road and Pleasant Street, in Wilkinsonville. The first service of worship was held July 17, 1825, in the Sunrise Hotel, which is now Molleur's Block. It was in charge of the first minister, Rev. Daniel LeBaron Goodwin, aged twenty-five, who served the parish for twenty-nine years. David Wilkinson, who owned the village and the mill, gave the lot on which the church was later erected, and $1000 towards the expense of the labor and material for the building. The soci- ety was incorporated in 1827. The cornerstone was laid with great ceremony by the Royal Arch Chapter and Olive Branch Lodges of Masons of Sutton on June
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24, 1828, St. John's Day. The Massachusetts Spy states that three hundred people sat down to dinner after the ceremonies. An engraved silver plate was placed in the cornerstone containing the following inscription:
Vestry Men Incorporated, March 10, 1827 Rev. Daniel L. B. Goodwin, Rector Thomas Harback, Clerk Amasa Roberts, Esq. Sen. Warden John Dudley, Jun. Warden
Joshua Armsby Samuel Wood Silas Chase Jonathan Leland
Abraham Chase Clark Brown Asa Woodbury Thomas Harback
Hezekiah Howe, Treas. Corner stone laid June 24, 1828 David Wilkinson, Founder
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WILKINSONVILLE
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Some of these old names are found today in this vicinity. There is the Leland District, the Harback District, Wilkinsonville, Woodburyville, the Armsby place, the Chase places and the John Dudley farm. Descendants from the Chases and Dudleys still attend St. John's Church. There has been a Chase in the parish for a century and a John Dudley in every generation from the first Junior Warden to the Vestryman John Dudley, who died in December 1951,-one hundred and twenty-three years.
Mr. Wilkinson was an Episcopalian and before he organized his St. John's Church, the people had attended the Congregational Church in Sutton Center, because there was no other place of worship in the vicinity. St. John's is the sec- ond oldest Episcopal Church in the Diocese, the Rochdale Church being two years older. Many of the Sutton members in the area went to the new church be- cause it was nearer home, but the service, at first, was unfamiliar.
St. John's was consecrated on June 3rd, 1829. The Massachusetts Spy states, "The day being uncommonly fine, a great number of people assembled to witness the solemnities. Among whom, we observed with pleasure, many of the neigh- boring Congregational clergy and many of the most respectable and intelligent inhabitants of the neighboring towns. The ceremonies were conducted with great propriety. The sublime and impressive ceremony of consecration was performed by the Venerable Bishop Griswold with fervor and simplicity." It is interesting to note that a window was installed over the front door, in memory of the laying of the cornerstone by Bishop Griswold. We hope the wooden covering which obscures it will soon be removed. Soon after the church was built, there was a business depression and the whole village, except the church, was sold to Samuel Slater and Sons. The new owners were generous, as Mr. Wilkinson had been, and gave much needed financial help to the new society.
According to the records, it was decided to raise three hundred dollars for Mr. Goodwin's salary and twenty-five dollars for incidental expenses. It was agreed to rent or sell the pews to raise the needed funds, as seems to have been the custom in those days. Pewholders only were then allowed to vote on church matters. In 1854, the annual income came up to three hundred sixty-two dollars. Rev. Mr. Goodwin had a large garden and donations of wood, honey and other products, but he also had a wife and nine children to support. Both Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin had had excellent educations and they found time to teach their chil- dren. A grandson recently stated that the Goodwins were very strict, especially in the observance of the Sabbath Day. "There was one deviation from the enor- mity of sewing on the Lord's Day, when Mrs. Goodwin fastened the sheets of the sermon together with her needle and thread while the bell was ringing for the service to begin."
During his twenty-nine year pastorate Rev. Mr. Goodwin baptised 260 people and 141 were confirmed. A large marble tablet was erected on the front wall of the church, in his memory after his death. The ministers who followed were Rev. Benjamin Chase, Rev. A. Decature Spatter, Rev. William Hawkins, Rev. George Paine, none of whom served more than four years. The financial problem was becoming increasingly difficult and, in 1863, the parish requested $200 yearly assistance from the Church Missionary Society, which was granted. Rev. Samuel S. Spear came, in 1864, and the church was able to raise $600, including the help from the Sutton Manufacturing Co.
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It had been very difficult for the Millbury Episcopalians to come to Wilkinson- ville for service. Some had horses and drove down and some walked the distance. Rev. Mr. Spear organized the St. Luke's Mission in Millbury and had services in the Academy Building and the Methodist Church, and when the Town Hall was built, in 1880, the southwest room on the second floor was reserved as the "Mission Room." St. Luke's was continued until 1888 and the Rectors of St. John's Church conducted the services. In 1894, it was reorganized by Rev. Mr. Trussell and discontinued, in 1898. These later services were held in the Second Congregational Church and in the old Unitarian Church basement.
Rev. Thomas Randolf followed Rev. Mr. Trussell as Rector of St. John's and, in 1871, it was decided to double the pew-rentals. At this time Rev. Mr. Metcalf took charge, but left, in 1874.
In 1873, Mr. and Mrs. James Whitin gave the beautiful silver Memorial Communion Service which is still in use. It is inscribed, "Patience H. Whitin to St. John's Wilkinsonville, in memory of Mary Alice Whitin, Whitsunday June 1, 1873." In 1874, Rev. James S. Ellis commenced his pastorate. He preached in Millbury, as well as Wilkinsonville and the Wardens took the service when the Rector was absent. This, no doubt, provided for the afternoon services which were continued, in addition to the morning worship, until about 1870. One feels a pang of pity for the many patient horses that must have stood outside, shiver- ing, in winter. Finally, arrangements were made, in 1893, with the mill company to put the horses into the Company's barn for seventy cents a Sunday.
During the administration of the seven rectors after Mr. Goodwin, one hun- dred forty-five persons were baptised and seventy-one confirmed. In 1882, Rev. John Gregson came to St. John's. He is still remembered by some of the older people in the village. His church services were enjoyed by all and he had a great love for the Wilkinsonville neighbors, especially the children. He went through the mill and to the homes and collected money for a real Christmas party each year. Every child in the village was invited to the church to receive his present from a huge tree.
Mr. Gregson remained nine years and, during that time, baptised sixty-four persons and prepared twenty-six for confirmation. Mr. Trussell came next, in 1893. He was then in Deacon's Orders. He was promised $700 a year and the use of a house, which is probably the one now owned by Alexis Chausse, Jr. He organized the present St. Andrew's Mission in North Grafton. He had serv- ices there on Sunday evenings and often had week-day services at the homes. The North Grafton people evidently appreciated his efforts, for, years later, when he died in Las Cruces, New Mexico, his body was brought home and buried beside St. Andrew's Church.
While Rector of St. John's, Rev. Trussell baptised forty-one persons and pre- pared twenty-nine for confirmation. Rev. Lloyd Morton Blodgett came, in 1895, and the Litany Desk is a loving tribute to a much beloved man, who gave of his best for about a year, and died as Rector.
In 1897, Rev. Samuel Hodgkiss came to St. John's. He, too, was interested in the young people and formed the Saturday Club of boys and girls. They had a happy time on Saturday afternoons, besides raising money for gifts to the church, including the lovely old chandelier and the red lights, now seen over the cre- dence tables.
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Agnes Hodgkiss, daughter of Rev. Hodgkiss, became a Deaconess and was in charge of the Home for the Blind in Brooklyn for many years. She died May 10, 1941.
Mr. Hodgkiss organized the Seventy-fifth Anniversary Celebration in 1900 and compiled an interesting historical pamphlet. He founded the Trinity Mission in Whitinsville and later went there to live, assuming full charge of the Parish In Wilkinsonville he baptised eighteen persons and prepared the same number for confirmation.
The next Rector was Rev. Preston Barr, a scholar of great ability. He had serv- ices in Whitinsville and Millville besides Wilkinsonville. Many important events took place while he was here. In 1910, Hon. and Mrs. Charles Washburn offered to buy the house, which is our present Rectory, and a generous tract of land, and to give the property to the Diocese for the use of St. John's Society, if the church building and surroundings were included. This was agreed and the title to all property, now used by the Parish, is in the name of the Trustees of the Diocese. The present rectory had been used for years by the mill superintendents and others. The house was improved and a porch added and Mr. Barr supervised the redecoration of the church, being careful to retain the old-fashioned charac- teristics of the original edifice. Later, Mr. Edward Shippen Barnes, organist and composer, from New York, installed electric lights in the church, which took the place of the old kerosene lamps. These were given in memory of his wife, Eleanor Barr Barnes, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Barr. In 1840, Miss Mary Chase had given a pipe organ which was placed in the gallery at the rear of the church. A boy provided the uncertain power. For seventy-one years the choir sang the responses and led the hymns from the rear gallery. There was no heat in the church between Sundays and unwanted tones often sounded during a service, to the embarrassment of the organist and choir. After one of these ex- periences, when a pedal note sounded loud, clear and sustained, the organist crawled in, corrected the difficulty, crawled out and played the rest of the anthem which the choir had continued to sing.
This incident decided Mrs. Lucy Merrill, an alto singer, to carry out a plan she had long cherished, to present an organ in memory of her father and mother, both former organists at St. John's. So, in 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Merrill gave the beautiful Kimball-Frazee electric pipe organ in memory of Captain and Mrs. Henry Dudley and Beulah Dudley. The choir came downstairs for good and a vested processional was formed. A cross was given by Rev. and Mrs. Barr in memory of their son Donald, and hymnbooks were furnished by M. Joseph Smith, an organist of Worcester. The vestments were made by the ladies in the choir and the Woman's Guild.
In 1840, it had been voted "to allow no person to enter the gallery except the choir or such individuals who may be invited by any member of the choir. N. B. Chase is appointed to see that the above rule is strictly enforced." The choir loft now has a small children's chapel and contains some of the memorials which were formerly on the walls of the church.
In 1914, the Guild was reorganized and bylaws adopted under the able leader- ship of the Rector, and a Missionary Society was formed. In 1923, the women were admitted as voters on church matters.
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In 1925, on St. John's Day, a Centennial Service was held with a sermon by Rev. Samuel Drury, grandson of Rev. Daniel Goodwin. On the same day, Rev. Mr. Barr resigned. He had had sixty-two baptisms and fifty-five confirmations. Three years later, at his own request, he was buried near the church, beside his wife, who had been laid there in 1924.
Rev. H. Murray Elliott came in May 1926. He had received an M.A. degree from Kings College, Nova Scotia. He was also graduated from Arts University in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, and from the Divinity School at Emmanuel Col- lege at Saskatoon, and had had difficult years of experience in the Canadian Northwest. At the same time, Miss A. Kathleen Thompson left to train to be a Deaconess. She later went to Nenana, Alaska and had served as teacher, house- mother and general executive for over twenty years when she died April 25, 1951. A service was held in this church in her memory in May of that year. Rev. Elliott remained in Wilkinsonville about two years and was an exceedingly hard worker. His first confirmation class had thirty members and he had thirty-two baptisms. The congregation often numbered one hundred twenty-five and the choir had a roster of forty. He spent many long days trying to start a mission in the Burncoat Street section of Worcester, and his joy knew no bounds when St. Michael's on the Heights became a reality and he had services there as well as at St. John's. He organized a large Men's Club at St. John's and had a very enthusi- astic and large Sunday School there.
Rev. Augustus Cribbe came, in 1928. He remained for nineteen years and had services at the Rochdale Church, also, for a time. He had seventy-six baptisms and eighty-six persons were confirmed during his administration. He tried hard to solve the transportation problem which had caused many an anxious thought, over the years. George Rice gave a bus and Rev. Mr. Cribbe drove it up and down the valley before and after services, in good and bad weather. The Millbury ladies formed a Ladies' Aid to help defray the expenses of the bus but it proved too much of a burden, financially, and was discontinued. In 1930, St. John's be- came a Parish again. The choir of forty-four was divided into two choirs, the Decani and Cantoris and antiphonal plainsong was introduced. Altar boys were appointed. A Girls Friendly Society was formed.
Mr. Albert Whitin, the Senior Warden, lived in France for many years, but his interest in St. John's never waned. Every Easter, without fail, his gardener on the Whitinsville estate, sent quantities of lilies, carnations and other flowers to make the church beautiful. In his will, he asked to have St. John's choir sing at his interment and left the income of a large sum of money to the church.
In 1932, it was voted to excavate a larger cellar and make a recreation center in the basement. This was done, the expense borne largely by the kindness of a member of the church. The kitchen, guild room, choir room and stage have pro- vided hitherto unknown possibilities for suppers, recreation, Sunday School and church meetings.
In 1938, the hurricane damaged the steeple and blew off a part of the chimney, which fell down into the church, narrowly missing the pulpit. In repairing the damage, the Committee decided to modernize the church. The old Jepthah New- ton altar was moved to one side and a large new, white altar was substituted in
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a rectangular enclosure. The memorial windows to some of the oldest members of the parish were taken out and replaced by plain glass. The memorial tablets were taken up into the gallery and the beautiful chandelier was removed.
A long list shows the names of those who served in World War I. In World War II, five young men entered the service from the choir. George Murray, who had attended the church a few years before, and John Holbrook Dudley gave their lives for their country.
Rev. Albert Greene came to the church, in 1947. He was ordained in Wil- kinsonville during the same year. He was also appointed Vicar of St. Andrew's Church in North Grafton. He revived the St. John's Sunday School and had the two schools come together on Saturday mornings. A Young Peoples' Friendly Society was organized.
The present Rector is Rev. Norman Wray, who came as Lay Vicar, in 1950, from All Saints, Worcester. He was ordained in December 1951. He has had fifteen baptisms and prepared twenty-three for confirmation. The present War- dens are Joseph Hickory and James Colton. There is a Sunday School of twenty- seven members, which meets at the time of the morning service, a Choir, an Altar Guild, an Altar Boys' Group and an active St. John's Guild of women.
There have been many gifts to the church over the years, in memory of faith- ful members and workers. Some have already been mentioned. Among others are the Altar Book Rest in memory of Israel Saunders, the Sanctuary Rail in memory of Captain Abraham Chase and his wife, Nancy Chase, the Pulpit in memory of Evans Simmons and his wife, Sarah Simmons, the Lectern in mem- ory of Sumner Pratt, the Prayer Desk and Stall in memory of Mrs. Lucena Dudley, the small organ in memory of Fred Chase Dudley, the Credence Tables in memory of Thomas Harrison and Arthur Snow, Eucharistic Candles in memory of Annie Wier, Candelabra in memory of Charles Lockwood, the Alms Basin in memory of Annie M. Bottomley and Emily M. Snow, Candlesticks in memory of Arthur Rice, the large Cross, the gift of Mrs. Louis Kerr in memory of her nephew, lost in World War II, altar hangings in memory of Wellington Chase, besides other gifts. Flood lights, erected by John Byrne, show the church for a long distance, at night.
The memorial windows, previously referred to, were, on the left: first at the back, in memory of seven daughters of Caleb Chase, six of whom sang in the choir, Emily, Malinda, Amanda, Serena, Lavina, Vasti and Achsah; the second, on the left, was in memory of Harvey Dodge and his wife Catherine; the third, on the left, was in memory of James Anderson and his wife Betsey. On the right, at the back, was a window in memory of Lucina Chase Dudley, wife of Henry T. Dudley. The next was in memory of Daniel Moody Chase and his wife, Melissa Simmons Chase. The next was in memory of Rebecca Wilkinson Goodwin, wife of the first Rector, and later, when the white tablet was erected, the window in- scription was changed by Mrs. Goodwin's daughter, to read "In memory of Capt. John Dudley and Deborah Marble Dudley his wife." (Evidently for the first Junior Warden.) All these windows gave the dates of birth and death of the individuals.
There are at St. John's, at present, eighty-three family units and one hundred thirty-one communicants.
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THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
In Wilkinsonville, at the end of Church Street, one can see, on the hill, the building that was once the Presbyterian Church. Built in 1850, it was a plain, unpretentious building. There were no memorials or luxuries. The members were sincere, however, in their belief, and some came long distances to worship in their own way. People walked from Whitinsville and one old lady came all the way from Uxbridge, almost eleven miles, on foot. One minister, the Rev. P. Y. Smith, was educated in the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and was a student of Hebrew as well as other classical subjects. The story goes that, when he was preaching in his church on the hill, he could be heard plainly down in the village.
The McHenrys, Boyds, Wilsons, Pipers, Woodburns and Youngs were faith- ful supporters of this church and their tombstones in the local cemetery give mute evidence of their having lived and died in Wilkinsonville. Rev. Samuel B. Haslett was the last minister to serve the church. He left about the year 1887, when the edifice was badly damaged by fire. The members met in Saundersville for many years thereafter.
The building was bought by John C. Dudley, in 1915, and he converted it into an apartment house.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, WEST SUTTON
The First Baptist Church of Sutton was organized, in 1735. It is the fourth oldest Baptist Church in Massachusetts. With the exception of a ten-year period of being inactive, in the war years from 1775 to 1785, there have been almost steady services of worship and activities carried on by the men and women of this church.
Fifty ministers have served this church. The longest pastorate was that of Elder Benjamin Marsh from 1737 until his death in 1775. The following is the list of pastors since 1876: Rev. J.P. Chapin, 1878; Rev. Newhall, 1884; Rev. Albert Greene, 1885; Rev. Derham Tuck, 1890; Rev. William D. Mackinnon, 1892; Rev. C.B. Williams, 1897; Rev. Frederick Thayer, 1900; Rev. Sharf, 1901; Rev. Arthur Davis, 1903; Rev. Joseph Joy Theakston, 1906; Rev. Allan H. Bis- sell, 1910; Rev. Frederick Webb, 1912; Rev. O.D. Thomas, 1915; Rev. H.Y. Vinal, 1916; Rev. J.D. Matthews, 1920; Rev. Leonard Smith, 1922; Rev. Sydney Cahoon, 1925; Rev. A.C. Krane, 1926; Rev. Kenneth Hatch, 1927; Rev. Henry Schwab, 1928; Rev. Fred Bopp, 1936; Rev. Vernon D. Byron, 1937; Rev. Lee L. Burton, 1942; Rev. Warren C. Young, 1944; Rev. Lewis F. Hall, 1947. The present pastor, Rev. Lewis F. Hall, is a World War II Chaplain. He is also the executive secretary of the Taunton Council of Churches and lives in that city.
The first building was erected in 1750, at the corner of Hutchinson and Boston Roads. The next one was built on Freeland Hill where Charles Merrill now lives. This building had no steeple or bell. It was later moved to Braman- ville and is now between the West Millbury and Sutton Roads.
The present edifice was built in 1829 in a more central location in West Sutton. It was dedicated on Sept. 16, 1830. Hand-hewn lumber was used for the
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